Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

[Regionnus Rattis]

[h=5]Some critics of federal social programs, including leading presidential candidates, are sounding an alarm that the United States is rapidly becoming an “entitlement society” in which social programs are undermining the work ethic and creating a large class of Americans who prefer to depend on government benefits rather than work. A new CBPP analysis of budget and Census data, however, shows that more than 90 percent of the benefit dollars that entitlement and other mandatory programs spend go to assist people who are elderly, seriously disabled, or members of working households — not to able-bodied, working-age Americans who choose not to work. This figure has changed little in the past few years. Understanding that baby boomers are becoming senior citizens accounts for over 50% of this.

Contrary to "Entitlement Society" Rhetoric, Over Nine-Tenths of Entitlement Benefits Go to Elderly, Disabled, or Working Households ? Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

That's why it's so important for all able bodied people to work!
[/h]

 

[rockhopper46038]

An analysis by a left-of center think tank on entitlement dollar spending is a bit suspect on the face. But in a nutshell, even if 100% of the entitlements went to infirm, disabled, or otherwise non-able bodied citizens, we would still be spending too much.